THG 

UNIVERSITY  Of  CALIFORNIA 
LIBRARY 


CASE 


v 


T 

r- — .    / 


IN    PRESS 

* 

TO      BE      PUBLISHED      IMMEDIATELY, 

A    COLLECTION    OF    POEMS, 

BY   TUB   AUTHOR  OF 

THIS     VOLUME. 


THE   COURSE   OF   TRUE   LOVE 


NEVER 


DID   RUN   SMOOTH 


The 


COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 


NEVER 


DID  RUN  SMOOTH 


BY 


THOMAS  BAILEY  ALDRTCH 


<& 


NEW    YORK 


RUDD   &    CARLETON    310   BROADWAY 


M  DCCC  LVHI 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1858,  by 
T.   B.   ALDRICII, 

hi  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  COQH-  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  ol  JSIew  York. 


TO 

RICHARD   HENRY   STODDARD, 

• 

Under  whose  fingers 
This  Story  would  have  blossomed  into  true  Arabian  Roses, 

MY  SEVEN  NIGHTS'  RHYMING 
Is     AFFECTIONATELY     INSCRIBED. 


397158 


CONTENTS. 


Page 
PREFACE, xii 

1 .  The  Caliph  Muses,    .         .         .  .         .         .15 

2.  How  it  Struck  the  Lovers, 19 

3.  The  Wedding  Fete,  . 21 

4.  How  the  Little  Maiden  Wept, 24 

5.  How  Giaffer  Passed  the  Night, 27 

6.  Hearts  and  Crowns,  ..*....      29 

7.  The  Afrites  give  Giaffer  a  Hint, 32 

8.  In  the  Pavilion, 36 


PREFACE. 


In  ftooth  it  teas  a  goodly  time, 
For  it  was  in  the  golden  prime 
Of  good  Haroun  Al  Raschid. 

TENNYSON. 


'  I  ^HE  munificence,  wit,  and  affability  of  the  Barmecides,  made 
them  the  delight  at  once  of  Princes  and  Slaves  ;  and  Giaffer 
stood  so  high  in  the  esteem  of  Haroun  Al  Raschid,  that  the 
Caliph,  in  order  to  enjoy  his  company  in  the  presence  of  his 
Royal  Sister,  the  Princess  Abbassa,  decreed  a  marriage  between 
them,  but  with  the  capricious  restriction  that  they  should  forbeai 
the  privileges  of  such  a  union.  The  lovers,  thinking  to  overcome 
the  Caliph's  whim  after  marriage,  conceded  to  the  condition ; 
but  they  reckoned  without  their  host,  as  lovers  are  apt  to  do. 
The  Caliph  proved  as  ice  to  all  their  entreaties.  Nature,  at 

length,  broke  through  this  despotic  prohibition,  and the  finale 

is  told  in  the  Poem. 


xii  PREFACE. 

The  details  which  the  author  has  given  concerning  the  Nup 
tials  of  Giaffer  and  Abbassa,  are  not  to  be  found  on  the  pages  of 
legitimate  history ;  but  that  the  reader  may  not  think  these  facts 
lacking  in  authenticity,  the  author  would  refer  him  to  the 
Tellmenow  Isitsoornot,  a  work  somewhat  rare  in  this  country, 
but  occasionally  to  be  met  with  at  Old  Book  Stalls.  To  this 
same  Arabic  Wonder-Book  is  Mr.  Poe  greatly  indebted  for  his 
Thousand  and  Second  Tale. 


POEM, 


I. 


THE    CALIPH    MUSES 


AT  Bagdad,  in  his  gold  kiosk, 
Haroun  Al  Raschid  sate  one  day : 

A-through  the  carven  trellis  work 
The  sunshine  drifted  in,  and  lay      % 

In  argent  diamonds  on  his  face ; 

And  gleamed  across  the  golden  lace 

That  ran  like  lightning  round  his  robes ; 

And  seemed  to  split  two  crystal  globes 

Of  gold-fish,  on  two  jasmine  desks; 

And  fired  the  costly  arabesques ; 


l6     THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

And,  falling  on  the  fountain,  turned 

Its  spray  to  gems  that  glowed  and  burned- 

A  spiked  knot  of  chrysolite 
That  made  a  splendor  in  the  place ! 
But  most  it  loved  the  Caliph's  face : 
And  it  was  at  the  noon  of  day. 
On  cushions  cygnet-soft  he  lay, 

Unconscious  of  the  garish  light; 
Untasted  stood  his  fruit  and  ice ; 

Unheeded  were  the  winds  that  drew 

The  lemon  trees  all  ways,  and  blew 
The  gentlest  gales  from  Paradise ! 

Without,  among  the  myrtle  flowers, 
Two  fawns  lay  sleeping;  a  gazelle 

Played  with  its  gilded  chain,  and  rung, 
At  every  step,  a  silver  bell : 

Two  lovers,  down  the  garden-walks, 


NEVER    DID    RUN  SMOOTH.  17 

Went  hand  in  hand,  like  May  and  June ; 
And  one  was  as  the  rising  sun, 

And  one  was  as  the  waning  moon ! 
The  fawns  may  sleep ;  the  white  gazelle 

May  spill  the  lily's  cup  of  dew ; 
But,  lovers,  love  did  ne'er  run  smooth  : 

The  wily  Caliph  dreams  of  you ! 

The  sunlight  slid  from  Aaron's  brow ; 

Then  from  his  beard  of  silken  wire  ; 
Then  touched  his  feet,  then  touched  the  mats, 

And  set  their  silver  fringe  on  fire : 
And  still  he  heeded  not  the  flow 
Of  time,  that  evening  long  ago. 
But  when  the  shadow  of  the  mosque, 

Near  by,  was  shattered  on  the  floor, 
The  Caliph  turned  and  ate  his  ice, 

And  drank  the  drink  forgot  before ; 


l8      THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

And  smiled  like  one  who,  having  brought 
To  ripeness  some  imperfect  thought, 
Is  vain  of  his  own  wisdom.     Then 
This  pearl  of  kings,  this  flower  of  men, 
Caressed  his  beard,  and  softly  spake 
Like  one  who  murmurs,  half  awake  : — 
To  have  our  Vizier  ever  near, 
By  Attains  goodness  it  is  clear 

Tlie  faithful  Barmecide  must  wed 
Our  royal  sister  •  but  I  swear 

For  them  shall  be  no  bridal  bed! — 
May  countless  Marids  torture  thee, 
And  fill  thy  slumber  with  despair, 
O  Caliph  !  for  thy  cruelty ! 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  19 


II. 

HOW    IT    STRUCK    THE    LOVERS 


THEN  through  the  Palace,  north  and  south, 
The  edict  went  from  mouth  to  mouth, 

THE  PRINCESS  AND  THE  VIZIER  WED! 
For  it  was  law  and  gospel  then 

Whate'er  Haroun  Al  Raschid  said. 
And  nothing  loth  the  Vizier  was. 

He  mused: — It  is  the  GalipKs  whim; 
When  we  are  wed,  tlie  Clement  God 

Will  gracious  wisdom  send  to  him. 
And  she  : —  We  wed,  yet  do  not  wed  / 


20      THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

The  Just  would  keep  me  pure  and  white. 
I  will  be  ice.     And  yet,  for  all, 

She  dreamt  about  her  bridal  night ! 

So,  after  bath,  the  slave-girls  brought 

The  precious  raiment  for  her  wear, 
The  misty  izar  from  Mosul, 

The  pearls  and  opals  for  her  hair, 
The  slippers  for  her  little  feet, 

(Two  radiant  crescent  moons  they  were,) 
And  lavender,  and  spikenard  sweet, 
And  attars,  nedd,  and  heavy  musk. 

When  they  had  finished  dressing  her, 
(The  Eye  of  Morn,  the  Heart's  Desire  !) 
Like  one  pale  star  against  the  dusk, 
A  single  diamond  on  her  brow 
Trembled  with  its  imprisoned  fire ! 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  21 


III. 

THE    WEDDING    FETE 


A  THOUSAND  lanterns,  tulip-shaped, 

Of  amber  made,  and  colored  glass, 
Were  hung  like  fruit  among  the  trees ; 

And  on  the  garden-walks  and  grass 
Their  red  and  purple  shadows  lay, 
As  if  the  slave-boys,  here  and  there, 
Had  spilt  ajar  of  brilliant  wine  ! 
The  stagnant  moonlight  filled  the  air; 

The  roses  spread  their  crimson  tents ; 

And  all  the  night  was  sick  with  scents 
Of  marjoram  and  eglantine. 


22      THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

t 
Gay  barges,  rowed  with  stiver  oars, 

Ploughed  through  the  Tigris  in  the  light 
Which  from  the  Palace  windows  gleamed— 
A  fall  of  gold,  quick  shafts  of  flame 

That  burnt  the  edges  of  the  night ! 
And  from  the  open  portals  came 
Such  music  that  the  heavens  hung  mute : 
A  houri  playing  on  a  lute ! 

Sweet  water-falls  in  unseen  dells ! 
The  trilling  of  some  marvellous  bird ! 
And  ever  and  anon  were  heard 

The  dancers'  silvery  ankle-bells. 

Within  a  spacious  marble  hall, 

The  Caliph's  Chamber  of  Nine  Domes, 

(Six  hemispheres  of  jasper,  propt 

By  agate  columns  carved  like  Gnomes, 

And  three,  like  lilies  newly  blown, 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  23 

« 

Of  silver,)  on  a  glittering  throne, 
A  gorgeous  god,  a  jewelled  Fate, 
The  great  Haroun  Al  Raschid  sate, 
And  round  about  on  either  hand, 
The  royal  guests  from  Samarcand, 
The  lords  and  emirs  of  the  land ! 
Before  him,  on  a  cloth  of  gold 

Sown  thick  with  stars  and  crescents,  stood 
The  lovers.     On  Abbassa's  cheek, 

Like  roses,  blushed  the  modest  blood ; 
Her  form  was  like  the  papyrus  reed, 

And  graceful  as  the  palm-tree's  fan; 
Her  eyes  were  gems;  her  eyebrows'  arch, 

The  thin  new  moon  of  Ramadan  ! 
And  half  a  head  above  the  throng, 

O'erlooking  Sultan,  King,  and  Shah, 
The  Vizier  breathed  the  golden  air 

About  him,  like  a  splendid  star. 


24     THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 


IV. 


HOW    THE    LITTLE    MAIDEN    WEPT 


THE  music  sang  itself  to  death ; 

The  lamps  died  out  in  their  perfume 
Abbassa,  on  a  silk  divan, 

Sate  in  the  moonlight  in  her  room. 
Her  handmaids  loosed  her  scented  hair 

With  lily  fingers ;  from  her  brow 
Released  the  diamond,  and  unlaced 

The  robe  that  held  her  bosom's  snow 
Removed  the  slippers  from  her  feet. 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH. 

And  led  her  to  an  ivory  bed.  .  .  . 
Go  place  this  alabaster  lamp 

Beside  the  window  there,  she  said ; 
So  if  he  wake  at  dead  of  night, 
He'll  say, — "It  is  Abbassds  light  /" 
Then  she  laid  down  upon  the  bed 

With  folded  hands,  a  happy  maid ! 
And  Slumber  kissed  her  on  the  eyes, 

And  led  her  to  the  Land  of  Shade. 

Her  sleep  was  gentle  as  a  child's, 

An  hour  or  more  :  and  then  she  sighed  ; 

Then  stretched  her  arms  out  in  the  dark  : 
And  then  awoke.     My  lord!  she  cried ; 

Then  waited,  with  her  cheeks  aflame, 

For  answer.     But  no  answer  came. 

I  did  but  dream  !     And  then  she  wept. 
Alas  !  she  sighed,  I  do  not  weep 

2 


26      THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

Because,  awake,  I  have  not  found 
The  one  I  thought  of  in  my  deep  ; 

And  yet,  and  yet — 0,  heart  of  mine, 
I  cannot  tell  thee  WHY  /  loeep  ! 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  2J 


V. 

HOW    GIAFFER    PASSED    THE    NIGHT 


HE  could  not  sleep,  for  lo !  he  saw 

A  pair  of  eyes  that  banished  rest, 
A  star-sweet  face,  with  clouds  of  hair, 

That  fain  would  lie  upon  his  breast. 
And  straight  he  thought  how  fair  she  was — 

How  some  kind  fairy,  at  her  birth, 
Had  left  a  glory  on  her  brow, 

And  taught  her  all  the  charms  on  earth ! 
Her  liair,  he  said,  is  silken  night ; 

Her  eyes  in  tender  mist  are  drowned; 


i 

28  THE    COURSE    OF    TRUE    LOVE 

Her  mcmtli — a  little  ruby  place, 

Where  pearls  far  Sultans  may  be  found 7 
And  with  this  sort  of  Eastern  talk, 

He  made  the  moments  seem  less  long; 
But,  wearying  of  forced  delight, 

He  brooded  on  his  cruel  wrong, 
And  bit  the  blood  into  his  lips, 

And  tore  the  turban  from  his  head  : — 
By  Allah  !  that  must  be  the  lamp 

In  Beauty's  chamber  !  Giaffer  said. 
And  lo  !  it  was  Abbassa's  room, 

Abbassa's  room  just  opposite  ! 

And  in  the  window  was  a  light, 
That  stretched  across  the  garden's  gloom, 
And  seemed  a  bridge  of  fire,  whereon 

The  Vizier  might  have  stolen  to  her : 

And  there  he  stood,  and  did  not  stir 

Until  the  rising  of  the  sun. 

m 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  29 


VI. 


HEARTS    AND    CROWNS 


THREE  nights  did  Giaffer  watch  this  light, 

Till  morning  blossomed  in  the  sky : 
Three  nights  Abbassa  had  her  dream, 

And  wept;  and,  weeping,  wondered  why! 
And,  on  the  fourth,  as  sick  Haroun 

Walked  through  the  garden,  breathing  spice, 
The  Vizier  broke  upon  his  thought, 

And  knelt  before  the  Caliph  thrice : — 
Three  nights,  O  Caliph!  have  Ilain 

In  yonder  chamber  all  alone — 


30   m   THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

And  thrice  the  Caliph  passed  him  by. 
.  O  Heart  of  Ice!  0  Ear  of  Stone  ! 
Thou  giv'st  thy  slave  a  cup  of  gall 

To  drink  from — as  if  thou  wert  Fate  ! 
The  Caliph,  angered,  turned  and  cried, 

JVow  may  Hath  Ridwan  shut  the  gate 
Of  Heaven  upon  me  wlien  I  die, 

But  I  will  day  thee  with  this  hand 
If  thou  forgetest  what  is  writ — 

Let  slaves  obey  wlien  Icings  command! 
With  this  he  drew  his  farajah 

Around  him,  and  with  haughty  frown 
Paced  through  the  garden  as  before. 

One  ivears  a  turban,  one  a  crmwi, 
So  Giaffer  mused,  then  be  it  said 

The  difference  'twixt  the  slave  and  kin 
Is  this — the  Crown  upon  the  liead! 
Marts  heart  need  not  be  finely  wrought, 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  31 

If  so  lie  wear  a  jewelled  ring 
Upon  his  brows  !     Go  to,  Harmm  ! 

Thou  art  the  slave  and  I  the  Icing. 
The  pitying  heart  endures  for  aye— 

The  crown  must  lie  this  side  the  grave : 
Then  greater  than  a  heartless  king, 

O  Allah  !  is  thy  crownless  slave  ! 
So  saying,  Giaffer  smoothed  his  brow, 

And  with  his  thought  on  some  device 
For  love's  sake,  sauntered  up  and  down 

The  moonlit  garden,  breathing  spice. 


32      THE  COURSF  OF  TRUE  LOVE 


VII. 

THE    AFRITES    GIVE    GIAFFER    A    HINT 


Now  when  the  Palace  lights  were  out, 
And  there  was  neither  sound  nor  sight 

Of  life  within  the  lofty  halls, 

And  Bagdad's  minarets  and  mosques, 

And  garden-places  and  kiosks, 

Were  turned  to  marble  by  the  white 

Round  moon — it  chanced  that  Giaffer  stood 

Pensive  within  a  little  wood 

Of  mulberry  and  citron  trees, 

Where  a  low  fountain  made  for  him 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  33 

A  fairy  music,  and  each  breeze 

Came  heavily  laden  with  the  dim 
Sweet  opiate  from  the  lotus  flowers. 
This  spot  was  haunted  by  the  powers 
Of  Rest,  and  whosoever  came 

In  the  still  midnight  there  to  weep 
On  the  world's  usage,  or  in  shame, 

The  airy  spirits  put  to  sleep ! 

No  sooner  strayed  the  Vizier  here, 

Than  viewless  Afrites,  of  no  size, 
Floated  around  his  face,  and  threw 

The  dust  of  slumber  in  his  eyes ! 
And  while  he  slept  upon  the  grass, 

Within  the  fountain's  speary  rain, 
A  dream  of  an  unknown  delight 

Burst  like  a  blossom  in  his  brain ! 
He  thought  Abbassa  and  himself 


34      THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

Were  sitting  at  a  gorgeous  feast. 
The  like  of  which  was  never  spread 

For  any  Caliph  in  the  East, 
Or  any  King,  alive  or  dead ! 
Such  amber  pears,  and  grapes  of  jet, 
Such  sweetly-swelling  mignonette, 
Such  salvers,  piled  with  richest  food, 

Such  slender  urns  of  precious  wine, 
Such — ah  !  when  fancy  makes  a  feast, 

It  costs  no  more  to  have  it  fine ! 
And  so,  (he  dreamt,)  until  the  peep 

Of  dawn  they  feasted,  laughed,  and  sung ; 

Then  music,  with  its  honeyed  tongue, 
Breathed  sweetest  secrets  to  their  sleep ! 

Thus  ran  the  dream.     When  Giaffer  woke 

'Twas  dawn  indeed:  the  dewy  air 
Was  rife  with  fresh  mimosa  blooms. 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  35 

He  heard  the  call  to  morning  prayer: 
Then  he  arose,  and  bathed  his  face, 

And  smiled ;  and  by  this  smile  he  meant : 
To-night  we'll  have  a  feast  like  that, 

God  help  us,  in  the  Caliph's  tent — 
The  silk  pavilion  that  he  raised 

For  our  especial  use,  I  think. 
HJtt  sleep  ! — a  little  piece  of  bhang 

Would  flavor  well  his  evening  drink  ! 


36  THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 


VIII. 

IN    THE    PAVILION 


MESROUR,  go  bring  my  golden  cvp, 

That  I  may  drink  my  evening  drink! 
And  even  as  Al  Raschid  said, 

The  cup  was  brought,  a  golden-pink 
Great  goblet  rough  with  emeralds. 

He  sipped  and  sipped,  and  slumber  crept 
Upon  him.     Stop  tlie  music,  -slave  ! 

The  Icing  would  sleep.     And  lo !  he  slept. 

Now,  near  the  northern  palace-gate, 
A  place  as  still  as  still  could  be, 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  37 

Haroun,  like  Kubla  Khan,  did  once 
"  A  stately  pleasure-dome  decree  " — 
A  grand  pavilion,  under  which 

It  was  his  royal  wont  to  sit 
And  smoke  the  ripe  Latakian  leaves, 

And  laugh  at  Giaffer's  pleasant  wit ; 
And  here  his  Georgians  danced  for  him, 

(He  loved  a  dainty  foot  and  hand;) 
And  here  he  drank  his  iced  sherbet, 

Until  his  Highness  could  not  stand. 
And  here  the  Vizier  spread  a  feast, 

And  here  the  happy  lovers  sate — 
O  Caliph !  you  may  watch  and  watch, 

Love  laughs  at  locksmiths  soon  or  late  ! 

And  there  they  were,  the  truant  twain, 

Despite  the  Caliph's  cruel  ban  : 
They  looked  into  each  other's  eyes, 


38      THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

And  sipped  the  wines  of  Astrakhan ; 
They  smiled  at  time,  and  laughed  at  fate, 
And  scorned  the  Caliph  as  they  ate 
The  juicy  fig,  the  spicy  lime, 

The  nectarines  from  Oman  brought, 
The  rosy  peaches  that  had  caught 
The  taste  and  tint  of  summer  time ; 
And  slyly  from  their  finger-tips 
Threw  kisses  to  each  other's  lips. 

The  scented  fountain  spread  in  air 
A  tangled  net  of  crystal  thread ; 
And  round  about  the  silken  tent 

The  lanterns  glimmered,  white  and  red; 
And  fairy  fingers  passed  the  fruit, 
And  fairy  fingers  touched  the  lute, 
And  silver  laughter  cut  the  air — 
O,  merrily  the  time  went  by !  .... 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH.  39 

Now,  while  the  lamps  burnt  bright  within, 
The  moon  stole  down  behind  the  sky ! 

i. 

0,  cease,  sweet  music  !  let  us  rest : 

Dawn  comes,  sang  Giaffer,  hateful  dawn  ! 

« 

Henceforth  let  day  be  counted  night, 
And  midnight  called  the  morn  ! 

n. 

0,  cease,  sweet  music  !  let  us  rest : 

A  tearful,  languid  spirit  lies 
(Like  the  dim  scent  in  violets^) 

In  Beauty* s  gentle  eyes. 


in. 

There  is  a  sadness  in  sweet  sound 
That  quickens  tears  !     O,  music,  lest 


40      THE  COURSE  OF  TRUE  LOVE 

We  weep  with  thy  strange  sorrow,  cease  ! 
Be  still,  and  let  us  rest. 

Lo!  while  he  sang,  the   broidered  screen 

Which  hid  the  door  was  thrust  aside, 
And  in  Haroun  Al  Raschid  strode 

Before  the  bridegroom  and  the  bride  ! 
Ho  !  dog  of  Viziers,  what  is  this  ? 

Ye  drug  my  ivine  to  give  me  rest!  .  .  . 
So  sleep  tJiou  !     And  with  this  he  struck 

The  Vizier  thrice  upon  the  breast ; 
And  where  he  struck,  the  crimson  blood 

Gushed  out,  and  O,  it  flowed  apace. 
Then  Giaffer  turned  as  pale  's  the  moon. 

Then  forward  fell  upon  his  face, 
And  kissed  Abbassa's  feet,  and  died ! 
And  great  Haroun  Al  Raschid  cried — 

So  die  they  whom  the  Caliph  hates  I 


NEVER    DID    RUN    SMOOTH. 


41 


Then  three  black  Mamlouks,  three  grim  fates, 
Took  poor  Abbassa  by  the  hair, 

And  thrust  her  from  the  Palace  gates ! 


* ' 


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